A 600MW renewable energy park, comprising solar and storage, is being planned for North Kesteven in the east Midlands. Low Carbon’s proposed Beacon Fen Energy Park will be sited on land east of Sleaford, between the villages of Heckington and Helpringham. James Hartley-Bond, Director at Low Carbon, said: “We are looking forward to speaking directly with local communities about our plans to hear their views first-hand. “We are currently planning an early engagement consultation so we can ensure residents’ feedback links into the proposals, before holding a statutory consultation which is planned for later this year. “The UK Government has made clear its plans for the country to reach Net Zero by 2050. Its aim is to increase the nation’s solar capacity fivefold by 2035. If given permission, Beacon Fen Energy Park will be a significant step forward towards reaching this vital goal and securing sustainable energy for the country.” The project includes building the infrastructure needed to export the electricity the energy park would generate onto the national grid. It is planned this would be via an existing connection point at nearby Bicker Fen.
The amount of electricity Beacon Fen Energy Park could generate exceeds 50MW and is therefore classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). This requires Low Carbon to submit an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to the Planning Inspectorate. “We anticipate the development process for the project through to DCO submission and then examination will take between two and three years. Subject to achieving consent, construction would start no earlier than 2026,” said Hartley-Bond. He added: “We look forward to speaking to residents within the coming weeks and introducing them to our proposals.”
Credits: renews.biz [Image: Unplash/Zbynek Burival]